Don't I Know You From Somewhere?
by Sgt. Moffitt
Summary: Hogan's past catches up with him...Entry for Hubbles' Short-Story Speed-Writing Tournament.


_A/N: I don't own Hogan's Heroes and I don't get paid for this; it is truly a labor of love._

This story is written as a missing scene from "Rockets or Romance" and there is a reference also to "Six Lessons from Madame LaGrange". It's something of a response to Jinzle's question about the two apparently unrelated appearances of Lily Frankel, and to a discussion about Hogan's love life on one of the forums.

* * *

><p>A full-grown man in the grip of uncontrolled panic is not a pleasant sight. So Colonel Robert Hogan did his best to conceal his shock when he saw the woman coming through the door of the observation hut.<p>

Not that the sight of a pretty and curvaceous young lady was something to inspire terror. Far from it, in fact; he normally welcomed such sights.

But...

He_ knew_ this particular young lady. He remembered very clearly working with her in that situation when a double agent was going to give a list of underground agents - Hogan and his men among them - to the Gestapo. She had made it possible for that list to be delivered safely to Hogan instead.

She had been a cabaret singer in a nightclub, and pouted when he hadn't praised her singing sufficiently. Funny, he had thought that pout quite charming...

And when their mission was accomplished, and just before she was to go to safety in England, they had that one, last, romantic dance together...

But for the life of him, he couldn't recall her name!

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...well, not scorned exactly, but a lady does not take kindly to having a gentleman of her acquaintance completely forget her name.

As he stared at her, speechless, she stared back...but not at him, at the gun he was holding and pointing directly at her. Well, hell, what did she expect? Sneaking into the observation hut like that...

Damn it, what _was_ her name?

"Colonel Hogan?" she said in a half-doubtful tone, wide blue eyes still on the gun.

Then his wits returned to him, and he remembered the name of the underground agent he was supposed to meet here.

"Frankel?" he said, putting away the gun. Yeah, he had been expecting an underground agent by the name of Frankel - just hadn't expected this particular Frankel. Now, if only he could remember her _first_ name...

As though she could read his mind, she said, with a tone of reproof, "Lily Frankel."

Things sort of went downhill from there.

Sure, they did their job. They kept watch for the mobile rocket launchers, all the while keeping up a lighthearted flirtation. He used his effortless charm, and she responded as all women did, with a smile and a few kisses, and an unspoken promise of more to come.

But it irked him, for some reason, that she made no reference to their previous acquaintance. And there was the way she so casually said, "But you do not even know me."

He had replied with a careless remark, in the same bantering tone, but somehow it hurt.

...

They continued their surveillance, and were rewarded by the sight of the two rocket launchers. Hogan went to the wireless and sent a coded message to the approaching bombers, and he and Lily were able to witness the destruction of the rockets.

All in all, it was a successful mission. Lily even came up with a way to deal with the one remaining rocket launcher that was currently sitting in the middle of the compound at Stalag 13.

Who would have guessed a gorgeous underground agent knew about gyroscopes, anyway?

He was still unhappy that she was ignoring their previous relationship, but he covered his disappointment by flirting even more shamelessly. And once their mission was accomplished, he took her in his arms...

...and was rudely interrupted by the sudden entrance of Baker and Newkirk, who arrived breathless from the climb up the hill, and very relieved to find Hogan safe. They were surprised to find that Frankel was a woman, but not surprised at all to find her in Hogan's arms.

Newkirk summed up the situation as only he could, remarking to Baker, "I can see we're not wanted 'ere, mate. Let's 'ead back to the camp."

"I'll see you there," said Hogan. As they departed, he turned back to Lily, but the silly bantering mood was broken.

Damn it, she was supposed to be safe in England. She wasn't supposed to be here, risking her neck again in the cause of the resistance.

But she was here now, and so was he.

He took a deep breath. "Do you remember when we last..."

Her gaze flew to his, and she smiled a slow smile. "Of course. How could I forget our last dance together? And the way you did not seem to appreciate my singing. Oh, I remember." She added, teasingly, "Far better, I fear, than you remembered my name."

Hogan winced in embarrassment and looked down at his feet, unable to meet her eyes. "Not good with names, I guess."

"It has been two years, after all. Many things have changed."

How true that was. Two years ago, the outcome of the war was seriously in doubt. Two years ago, he had no right to make any commitments to anyone. Two years ago, he could not imagine making plans for an ordinary life.

An ordinary life. How good that sounded.

He looked up at Lily, needing to know. "When you said to me that I don't even know you, what did you mean?"

"Because you do not know me. We did not know each other two years ago, and we do not know each other now." She paused, and her smile became wistful. "Not yet. But I would like very much to know you. The real you, not the handsome Lothario."

Hogan smiled back, suddenly filled with a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time; years, maybe. "I would like that as well. You know something...earlier today we made it clear to each other that neither of us was married, or had someone waiting for us. I wonder why we didn't bring up that little matter two years ago?"

"Because it did not matter then. Because there was no future for us then, regardless."

"And now?"

The look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.


End file.
